Amerks Host Syracuse Tonight

Tonight, the Rochester Americans close out their arduous five-game six-night stretch as they return home to face their longtime rivals, the Syracuse Crunch at The Blue Cross Arena. The game will be the first of a four-game homestand for the Amerks. The 6:05 p.m. North Division matchup between the I-90 neighbors will be broadcast live on SportsRadio 1280 WHTK, whtk.com and AHL Live.

Promotions: The game is a part of Zweigle's Family Four Pack, where fans can purchase four tickets, four hot dogs and four sodas for $55. Fans can call the Amerks office at (585) 454-5335 for more details. Sunday is also Buy One, Get One Half-off night, where fans can purchase a ticket and get another for half the price in any seating section for any Sunday through Thursday game. Tickets can be purchased online through Ticketmaster.com. Lastly, it also marks the first Military Discount Night, in which active military and veterans can present a Military ID or an American Legion or VFW membership card and receive premium seating for just $10 or 200 End seats for $5, a savings of $12.25 per ticket. All tickets can be purchased directly at the Box Office window at The Blue Cross Arena. After the game, head down to The Distillery at 1142 Mt. Hope Ave. for the official postgame party.

Head-to-Head: The matchup is the fourth of 12 scheduled meetings between Rochester and Syracuse this season, with the Crunch ahead in the season series after three consecutive victories over the Amerks. Rochester is 78-70-15 all-time against the Columbus Blue Jackets' affiliate.

Amerks Notes: Rochester (6-20-0-2, 14 points) enters the contest looking for its second straight win of the season after coming off a 3-1win over the Lake Erie Monsters last night at Quicken Loans Arena. The Amerks scored three consecutive unanswered goals from Michael Duco, Jacob Micflikier and David Brine in the come-from-behind rally to give Rochester its third win in its last five games. Mike Brodeur made his fifth consecutive start, the longest of any Amerks goaltender this season, backstopping Rochester with a 20-save performance to garner second star honors. Brodeur has now been selected as one of the game's three stars in four of his five games since joining Rochester.

Janis Sprukts (6+8) and rookie defenseman Jason Garrison (2+12) are currently tied for the team lead with 14 points apiece after each picked up assists last night. Garrison also leads the team in that category with 12 and remains Rochester's top scoring defenseman. Further, Garrison's 14 points ties him for 19th among American Hockey League blueliners. Fourth-year left wing Stefan Meyer paces the goal count with a team-leading seven on the season while his 12 points overall is second best on the team. Duco continues to lead the team with 88 penalty minutes (PIM), good enough for 11th in the league. Brodeur boasts a 3-2-0 record with a 1.39 goals-against average and a .948 save percentage. His one shutout ties him for fourth among AHL goaltenders.

Welcome Back!: Amerks General Manager Jody Gage announced today that the Florida Panthers have reassigned forward Tanner Glass to the Amerks. Glass, 25, played in three games with the Panthers since his recall on December 8th, averaging 6:45 in ice time with seven PIM. He has played in 24 games with Rochester this season, recording nine points (4+5) and 69 PIM. For his career in the NHL, he has played in 44 games all with Florida, recording two points (1-1-2) and 46 PIM.

Syracuse Notes: Syracuse (14-11-0-1, 29 points), kicking off a three-game road trip tonight, comes into the matchup on the heels of a five-game skid after suffering a 4-2 loss to the Toronto Marlies last night at the War Memorial at Oncenter. Veteran forward Mike York presently pilots the Crunch offense with a team-high 22 points and 16 assists, while his plus-eight rating is a second best. Craig MacDonald currently reigns as Syracuse's top goal scorer with eight thus far. The Crunch's Jon Mirasty is first on the team and fourth in the league with 103 PIM. Goaltender Dan LaCosta is among the top goaltenders in the AHL. His 2.43 goals-against average and .921 save percentage rank him 12th and 11th, respectively, while his 11 wins ties him for second.

Next Game: Rochester remains on home ice on Friday, December 19th as the Lake Erie Monsters make their second stop of the season at The Blue Cross Arena. The 7:35 p.m. contest will be the third of six meetings between the two teams this season and will be broadcast live on SportsRadio 1280 WHTK, whtk.com and AHL Live.